Winona State University's Newspaper since 1919

The Winonan

Winona State University's Newspaper since 1919

The Winonan

Winona State University's Newspaper since 1919

The Winonan

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Letter: WSU is a community of respect

CONTRIBUTED BY KAREN JOHNSON

Welcome to spring semester 2015! As we begin this new semester, I’d like to take the opportunity to remind everyone that WSU is an inclusive and welcoming community. Incidents of hate speech, cyberbullying and other negative social media have no place here at WSU.

As a community of learners, we are focusing on a variety of ways to reinforce positivity and encourage students to support one another, and we will continue to implement programs across the campus and the curriculum. Current efforts include:

* The Office of Housing and Residence Life has launched the “Project Positivity” Campaign to stop cyberbullying and the “I Stand” Campaign to promote respect and equality.

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* Tips on how to make social media positive have been posted on bulletin boards throughout our residence halls.

* Health and Wellness Services has launched the campaigns “Think Before Your Post” and “Words Matter,” and is also helping lead the Recognizing Equality (RE) Initiative.

* President Olson has convened a focus group to generate ideas on how to fight cyberbullying, which included a campus-wide email encouraging campus conversations about WSU’s community of respect on social media. The group, which includes faculty, staff and students, meets monthly to develop actions to counter cyberbullying on campus.

* Multiple workshops were led by students, President Olson and myself, providing resources and infusing positive and healthy messages on social media.

* The topic is being addressed academically, in class discussions in Social Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies classes as well as in research on social media stalking and cyberbullying by students in HERS and Communication Studies.

In addition, our staff in the residence halls and in student conduct will investigate all cases of cyberbullying to the fullest extent possible, and we will continue to sanction individuals who violate the rules. I would like to remind students that WSU has excellent Counseling and Wellness Services, with licensed staff to help students deal with personal issues.

Remember, nothing on social media is private. Anything you post could last forever and could be seen by anyone, including me, your professors, and even members of your family back home! The effects of a comment or photo posted in a moment of haste could cause a tremendous amount of anxiety. We should work to use social media to tell our story and promote all of the good work we do.

 

Karen Johnson

 

Associate Vice President for Student Life and Development and Dean of Students

 

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